Stops Along The Way

June 2017

The reason our decision to go to Yellowstone was delayed was that we intended to spend the hot summer months in the Pacific Northwest. Those plans changed when Larry’s brother Jerry reminded us all that their Mother would be turning 80 this year! An accomplishment too great to not celebrate! Larry and his siblings hadn’t all been together with his parents since we all met in Breckenridge, CO to celebrate his parent’s 50^th wedding anniversary TWELVE YEARS AGO! Her birthday actually isn’t until September but the only time we could all get together was July. So forget the cool, green, Pacific Northwest, we’d be spending July in the hot and humid cornfields of Nebraska! Mom is certainly worth it!

So we went to OR and WA earlier than we’d planned then headed east!

Our last three stops in June were basically rest stops on the way to Nebraska.

One of those stops was Terry Bison Ranch in Cheyenne, WY. It’s one of those places that wants to be a destination unto itself. There’s a western looking “town” with restaurants and game rooms and stuff. They have a little train that takes you into a field of Bison. It was cute but we were just there for the night.

Those are bison way out there!

I did meet a guy with a giant Newfoundland and a giant Saint Bernard! As per usual I knew the dogs names, not his. Max, the Newfie and Lady, the Saint Bernard took up most of the room in their little motorhome but he and his wife couldn’t imagine traveling without them! I know how that feels!

Well on a smaller scale anyway!

This is Max and his person. He could only walk one dog at a time unless his wife was with him. 

I wish I'd taken a picture of Lady. She was beautiful!

Next stop was Eagle Canyon Hideaway in Brule, NE. We spent 2 days there because they told us there’d be fishing! When we got there we discovered the lake that was supposedly “part of their park” was actually a state park. We would have had to buy 2 fishing licenses and a state park pass to fish there! I don’t remember what the total cost was but a guy there told me it wasn’t worth it unless you enjoy being frustrated. He said there were fish out there but the only place to fish on shore was right next to the swim, or should I say splash-around-and-scare-any-fish-within-miles away beach!

Looks so inviting doesn't it?

Next stop, Sunny Meadows Campground in Elm Creek, NE. Sounds lovely doesn’t it? We had planned to spend 2 days there as well. Mostly because our reservation in Bradshaw didn’t start until July first! “Sunny Meadows” is a dirty gravel parking lot about 50 feet from the highway with dog poop that looks like it came out of Clifford the Big Red Dog all over the place!

In case you didn't know, THIS is Clifford! Try camping next to his poop!

But I try to always look on the bright side! They had a washing machine big enough to accommodate my newly washed and newly thrown up on couch cover!

We called Larry’s brother Steve to see if it would be possible to head into Bradshaw one day early.

It was! We washed the couch cover and we were outa there!

How hilarious is this? Live bate in a vending machine!